While some in-person events are back on the calendar for 2021, the majority aren’t expected to come back full force until next year, despite the recent drop in COVID cases in Michigan. Even with the CDC announcement and vaccination increases in Michigan, nonprofits are being cautious and might be one of the last industries encouraging people to gather in large numbers, said Sommer Brock, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter and director of development for the Pontiac Community Foundation. There’s also the practical consideration that nonprofits typically budget and plan for fundraising events earlier in their fiscal year and many planned virtual events again, given the relative success the sector saw with them last year. That said, some nonprofits are a little more nimble and can adjust on the fly, Brock said. But any in-person fundraisers hosted by nonprofits are likely to be smaller gatherings as part of hybrid events that retain a virtual component. “We’ve been in a bubble for more than a year,” she said. “I just think people are going to need a minute to ease back into being around mass numbers of people. “Most of the region’s nonprofits aren’t hosting in-person fundraising events, yet, Brock said.” “I am thinking in the spring, a year from now, there will be a resurgence of events. The state will be more open. … I think that will give nonprofits the confidence to plan live events again,” she said.” “A handful of nonprofits came into this year with a plan to host smaller in-person fundraisers in outdoor or open-air locations.
